Meet SPAWN’s Watershed Biologist Preston Brown

Meet SPAWN’s Watershed Biologist Preston Brown

August 10th, 2014

In case you haven’t already bumped into Turtle Island’s Watershed Biologist Preston Brown on Friday’s at the native plant nursery or seen him driving the newly donated truck to a restoration site or wondered ‘who is that guy in the creek?’ read on to learn about him and his role at SPAWN.

Preston is a Colorado native. He graduated from Colorado State University (CSU) in 2012 with a Bachelor’s in Natural Resource Management. During his time at CSU he gained field experience working as a Fisheries Research Specialist for the Natural Resources Ecology Lab and an Ecological Research Assistant and Field Technician for the Restoration Ecology Laboratory. He also had the opportunity to oversee and manage an array of streamside restoration projects and experiments as Environmental Stewardship Manager at the Environmental Learning Center at CSU.

After college, he moved to Los Altos, California and worked as Natural Resources Research Technician at the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District where he managed a region-wide program to control invasive plant species on private lands adjacent to District preserves, managed wetland habitat improvement projects for California red-legged frog and directed population monitoring programs for steelhead trout, among other duties.

These on-the-ground experiences and his demonstrated project management skills made him a natural fit for Turtle Island’s SPAWN program.Preston began as an intern with SPAWN in March of 2013, and by September 2013 was hired on as a full-time employee.

His favorite part of his job are managing the restoration projects. “I really like the projects. From designing stream enhancements, monitoring past projects, and planting native plants. It is rewarding to know that a community can come together and create salmon-friendly habitat,” he said.

Preston is currently leading SPAWN’s efforts to make habitat throughout West Marin salmon-friendly with both large and small-scale restoration projects, and is actively educating the public about the importance of our salmon bearing streams.

If you would like to get involved and lend your expertise to a restoration project, please click here to view upcoming events

What You Can Do to Help

Join Turtle Island to become a supporter of giant leatherback sea turtles gliding on currents, of schooling hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos, of spawning coho salmon in California creeks, and of a better ocean future.